Energy poverty in the Czech Republic : Individual
responsibility or structural issue?

KOĎOUSKOVÁ, Hedvika and Lukáš LEHOTSKÝ. Energy poverty in the Czech Republic : Individual responsibility or structural issue? Energy Research & Social Science. Amsterdam: Elsevier, vol. 72, February, p. 1-9. ISSN 2214-6296. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2020.101877. 2021.

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TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1705976
AU  - Koďousková, Hedvika - Lehotský, Lukáš
PY  - 2021
TI  - Energy poverty in the Czech Republic : Individual responsibility or structural issue?
JF  - Energy Research & Social Science
VL  - 72
IS  - February
SP  - 1-9
EP  - 1-9
PB  - Elsevier
SN  - 22146296
KW  - Energy poverty
KW  - Policy framing
KW  - Bureaucracy
KW  - The Czech Republic
UR  - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629620304527?dgcid=coauthor
L2  - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629620304527?dgcid=coauthor
N2  - Although energy poverty is now high on the EU agenda, pressing member states to adopt targeted policies, there are considerable differences in the state of play across individual countries. In this context, it is worth investigating how this agenda translates into policy. We aim to contribute to this underrepresented strand of research in the energy poverty domain by focusing on the discursive side. This paper starts with the theoretical assumption that bureaucrats are especially important in the initial stages of new policy formation. It further presupposes framing as a process that typically occurs in tackling the complex reality of an emerging policy problem. We have chosen the Czech Republic as a case study as it does not currently have any official energy poverty policies though a working group on the ministerial level has been tasked to define the issue in the Czech context. The research reveals how relevant Czech bureaucrats frame the question of energy poverty. We identify three distinctive frames. Whereas two frames follow the broader ideological debate on poverty (individualizing vs. structural view), the third builds on the concept of vulnerability. None of the frames is clearly predominant. Besides their conflicting views about the causes of energy poverty, responsibilities and policies, there are also disagreements over the appropriate level (national or regional) of governance and a widely held belief that external research actors should shed more light on the issue. The complexity of the discussion may complicate finding a common approach.
ER  -

Basic information
Original name	Energy poverty in the Czech Republic : Individual responsibility or structural issue?
Authors	KOĎOUSKOVÁ, Hedvika (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and Lukáš LEHOTSKÝ (703 Slovakia, belonging to the institution).
Edition	Energy Research & Social Science, Amsterdam, Elsevier, 2021, 2214-6296.

Other information
Original language	English
Type of outcome	Article in a journal
Field of Study	50601 Political science
Country of publisher	Netherlands
Confidentiality degree	is not subject to a state or trade secret
WWW	URL
Impact factor	Impact factor: 8.514
RIV identification code	RIV/00216224:14230/21:00120846
Organization unit	Faculty of Social Studies
Doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101877
UT WoS	000624445400007
Keywords in English	Energy poverty; Policy framing; Bureaucracy; The Czech Republic
Tags	rivok
Tags	International impact, Reviewed
Changed by	Changed by: Mgr. Blanka Farkašová, učo 97333. Changed: 16/6/2021 09:19.

Abstract

Although energy poverty is now high on the EU agenda, pressing member states to adopt targeted policies, there are considerable differences in the state of play across individual countries. In this context, it is worth investigating how this agenda translates into policy. We aim to contribute to this underrepresented strand of research in the energy poverty domain by focusing on the discursive side. This paper starts with the theoretical assumption that bureaucrats are especially important in the initial stages of new policy formation. It further presupposes framing as a process that typically occurs in tackling the complex reality of an emerging policy problem. We have chosen the Czech Republic as a case study as it does not currently have any official energy poverty policies though a working group on the ministerial level has been tasked to define the issue in the Czech context. The research reveals how relevant Czech bureaucrats frame the question of energy poverty. We identify three distinctive frames. Whereas two frames follow the broader ideological debate on poverty (individualizing vs. structural view), the third builds on the concept of vulnerability. None of the frames is clearly predominant. Besides their conflicting views about the causes of energy poverty, responsibilities and policies, there are also disagreements over the appropriate level (national or regional) of governance and a widely held belief that external research actors should shed more light on the issue. The complexity of the discussion may complicate finding a common approach.

Links
MUNI/A/1044/2019, interní kód MU	Name: Perspektivy evropské integrace v kontextu globální politiky II
MUNI/A/1044/2019, interní kód MU	Investor: Masaryk University, Category A

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Energy poverty in the Czech Republic : Individual responsibility or structural issue?

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